The Pirate Princess
by Deception'sChosen
Summary: Gan Ning brings his younger sister into the war between the three kingdoms, even though she's blind. Explains the reason why he wears bells. Warning, Xiao Ciao bashing within! Rating got bumped up to M because of chapters 10 and 11.
1. Chapter 1

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 1

Gan Ning stood at the top the mast of his ship, _Heaven Wrath_, looking at the woman sitting on the bow. She wore loose linen pants like he did, and a wide belt stitched with hundreds of bells. Her wild black hair was tied back with a headband that had three tiny black bells sewn onto it. She turned and stood, her small bare feet stepping lightly over the wood before leaping up into the air and landing on the deck, turning until she had to lean on the mast for support. All who looked upon her face agreed that she had to be one of the most beautiful women in all of Asia, with her small mouth, button nose and wide forehead. Even her eyes, which were grey and sightless, were beautiful in their emptiness. She fingered one of the bells on her belt and looked upward. She knew he was up there, watching her like he always did, ever since they were young and had taken vows that bound them as siblings.

"Gan Ning, come talk to me." She called, her voice strong and clear "We won't be in Wu's territory for at least two more hours, so you can stop trying to be impressive."

Gan Ning laughed and jumped down, landing with a thud and a jingling of the bells around his neck. He slung a muscular tattooed arm over his younger sister and leaned on her, making her groan and jab him with her elbow.

"No fair doing that, Gan Ning! You're twice as big as me!"

"Ai Rong, you'll just have to get bigger. You'll like these people, I promise. Well," he thought about the cocky Sun Ce and the cool attitude of Sun Jian "They are all good people, anyway."

"Tell me there are girls that aren't whores there."

Gan Ning laughed loudly, earning him a glare from Ai Rong. He remembered that he had taken her to the pleasure district in Wei's capital city, leaving the then twelve year old with the madam of one of the establishments until he came back. Apparently in six years, she still hadn't forgiven him.

"Yep. No whores in the palace."

"PALACE?! I don't even know what's fashionable in Wu! What do you expect me to wear?"

"Whatever you have. You've never worried about dressing up before."

"I've never been in a _**palace**_ before!"

She threw her hands up in defeat and walked away, stomping her way below deck. He listened until he couldn't hear her bells before chuckling again. This was going to be fun…


	2. Chapter 2

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 2

Ai Rong stood next to her brother as the other sailors secured the ship to the dock, holding her sword loosely at her side. She had named her sword Rising Phoenix because of the rubies that her brother had set in the hilt. She chewed her lip nervously, unsure of this new land. She had heard Gan Ning and the others talking of the people and she had supposed that they _sounded_ alright… But would they let her fight against Wei and Shu when they found out that she could barely make out any shapes or colors?

"Don't worry, Ai Rong. They will love you."

She put a hand on her brother's elbow as they walked down the gangplank, her breaths coming sharp and fast. She felt a rough hand gently pat her hand, then ruffle her hair. She jumped when she heard a loud male voice call out Gan Ning's name, realizing that they were being met by envoys rather than walking to the palace.

"Hah, Ling Tong! Sun Ce! Zhou Yu! I got somebody for you to meet! Guys, this is Ai Rong."

Ai Rong smelled silk and three different identifying scents that she assumed belonged to the men. She smiled shyly and gave a short bow before speaking, keeping her face turned down slightly to hide her sightless eyes.

"One of you smells like amber, another like ink and paper, and the other smells like sandalwood. Who has been doing all the writing?"

Zhou Yu blinked in surprise and stepped forward, bowing deeply and speaking in his cultured voice.

"I have been in war councils all day, my lady. I am Zhou Yu, advisor of the Sun family." He smiled and took a step back so Ling Tong could step forward.

"I am Ling Tong, you may have already heard of me from Gan Ning."

"Yes. You're the one who smells like sandalwood incense. You've been in a temple."

He nodded and stepped back for Sun Ce, who had a wide grin on his face and a roguish glint in his eye. Gan Ning and the others who could see nearly groaned at the expression.

"I am Sun Ce, son and heir to Sun Jian. Is there any way that I could steal you away from your lucky husband?"

Ai Rong yelped and half hid, blushing all the way down to her chest, behind Gan Ning as the pirate began to laugh. He pushed her back out in front of him, laughing as she stood there stammering. Finally he spoke up.

"She ain't my wife. Ai Rong is my little sister."

Sun Ce grinned again, laughing.

"Then that makes it even easier for me to get her to agree to marry me!"

Ai Rong was so embarrassed by the flirtatious and confident Sun Ce that she felt small tears forming in her eyes as she was forced to bite her lip to keep it from trembling. She heard the rustle of silk and felt a wide sleeve that smelled of ink brush her hair as Zhou Yu reached out to pat her shoulder.

"Don't let him scare you, lady. He's harmless."

She couldn't help but smile as the man helped her climb into a carriage with her brother. She liked all of them, even Sun Ce, but her favorite of the three men had been Zhou Yu. She began to question her brother as they rode to the palace.

"Are any of those men married?"

"Only Sun Ce. He has three wives and twenty concubines, just like all the royal brats."

"_Twenty_ concubines? How does he keep track?"

"He doesn't. He loves his first wife and likes his other two wives, so he never really goes to visit the concubines."

"Well, tell me about Zhou Yu. What is like?"

"Pretty much like you saw back there. He's always polite and calm, and he's really smart. Like you. Maybe he'll talk with you about military tactics sometime."

Ai Rong laughed, taking a deep breath. She had never smelled so much silk in one place. She supposed that she would have to grow accustomed to it as time passed during her stay at the palace.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 3

At the palace, Ai Rong met the whole Sun family and all their important generals. She wasn't entirely sure if she would remember all of their names, but she decided that she would try her best. As soon as they had seen her empty grey eyes, Sun Jian sent for his strategist and sorcerer, Zhuge Liang. The man, accompanied by the old and trusted general Huang Zhuo, took her to one of the apartments just outside of the audience chamber and seated her on a cushion and seated himself right in front of her.

"How long have you been blind, girl?"

Ai Rong thought for a moment and then told him that she had begun to lose her sight when she was five, and had been reduced to her current state by the time she was six. The mystic sighed and shook his head as he lit a stick of incense and pressed his hands over her eyes. She was surprised when he did this, but didn't move. When he removed his hand, he ordered her to tip her head back and open her eyes. When she did, she found that she could see dim colors and shapes. He put three drops of clear liquid in her eyes and told her to close them again until he said that she could open them.

It seemed like an eternity for two minutes to pass and Zhuge Liang to tell her to open her eyes. She screamed and threw herself at the man, flinging her arms around his neck, then letting go to turn toward the old man. She could see! Not as well as most people, but she could tell where eyes were on faces, and could see the colors of their clothes! She was practically skipping when they led her back to the audience chamber. Before entering, the white robed man handed her a small bottle and told her to use the liquid on her eyes every evening, saying her sight may be fully restored in time. However, the spell would end every night an hour after sunset.

Gan Ning looked up to look at his sister and about fainted when he saw her eyes. Rather than their usual flat grey, they were as black as night and full of life! She grinned and flung her arms around his neck with a happy cry.

"You can see me? You can see my face?"

She nodded and her brother lifted her up and spun her wildly around in a circle. When she let go of Gan Ning, she turned to Sun Jian and bowed.

"Wise Lord Sun Jian, your servant is ready to serve you."


	4. Chapter 4

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 4

Ai Rong sat up in her bed, feeling around for the bottle that held the key to her sight. She tipped back her head and let the drops fall onto her eyes, closing them and counting to 150 before opening them again. She smiled when she could identify the colors of the blurred shapes in the room. She stood and pulled on her clothes, tying her hair carelessly with her jingling headband.

There was a scratching at the door, accompanied by a high pitched giggle and a clear alto voice.

"Are you awake, Ai Rong? May we come in?"

"It's your palace."

She heard the shrieking laugh again and gritted her teeth, calling out that they were welcome to come in. Three women came in. One had short red brown hair and wore pants and a tight shirt; the other two wore short dresses with wide ribbon sashes. The two girls with the ribbon sashes looked to be about 15, and wore similar expressions of delight at the prospect of meeting another female.

"I'm Sun Shang Xiang. The girl with the red sash is Xiao Qiao. The one with the blue sash is her older sister, Da. If you are feeling up to it, would you do us the honor of going shopping with us after the evening meal? There aren't many girls in the palace, so-"

Ai Rong nodded, smiling. She rarely got to do anything that other girls considered normal, and she wanted to make friends with these high-class women. Xiao squealed with delight, making everybody wince. Ai Rong silently wondered if there were dogs outside the palace who could hear the girl's horrible laugh…

………………………………………………………………………………………………

(later)

Ai Rong sat next to the carriage's window, squinting to try to bring the world into focus. Suddenly she felt Xiao tap her arm sharply to get her attention.

"Why do you wear the bells?"

The pirate princess smiled and flicked one of her bells, thinking of how best to tell the story…

"When I was five years old, I began to notice that I couldn't see as well as I used to. Shapes would blur into each other and colors would run together. I was nearly run over by an oxcart, but Gan Ning saved me. He decided that he needed a way to keep track of me, so as soon as we got home, he stole a needle, thread and some bells, then sat down and stitched two sashes. One for me so that he could keep an eye on me, and one for him, so I would always know where he was. I guess that they just have become our trademark."

"But you can see…"

"Only through Zhuge Liang's magic. If he had not given me the potion I used this morning, I would still be blind."

Shang Xiang nodded, thinking it made perfect sense. She had heard of the Princess Who Saw Without Seeing, and it made sense to her how the girl had been able to fight even though her world had been nothing but sounds and shadow since she was a child. She listened to the sounds things made. But now that she had used a potion from her father's advisor, she would have a portion of her vision restored.

"Driver, stop here." The princess of Wu said sharply, tucking her money pouch inside her shirt. "You may pick us up in two hours."

The girls climbed out of the carriage and wandered happily up and down the crowded streets, stopping to look at jewelry, clothes and perfumes. When Ai Rong heard a familiar tune being played by an old man on a zither, she began to dance slowly. The gestures were small, as though she was trying to avoid calling attention to the face that she could dance. Xiao, however, had noticed and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Ai Rong, I didn't know that you could dance! Show us! Show us!"

The other two girls had to practically beg her to do it, but finally the other girl agreed. She started out slowly, but the music got gradually faster until she was twirling almost wildly. She slammed into a muscular chest and bounced off, landing on her behind and swearing loudly, then apologizing in the same breath. She saw a man about her age sitting in the dust right in front of her, laughing and twisting around asking Shang Xiang if she would give him his hat.

"I'm s-so sorry! Are you alright sir? I'm sorry!"

He laughed and stood, gently helping the apologizing dancer to her feet and placing a boxy hat on his head. This close up, Ai Rong could see that he had wide dark eyes set under even eyebrows and a broad forehead. His lips were parted in a cheerful smile and his voice, a soft comforting tenor, held a hint of laughter as he introduced himself as Lu Xun. She blushed and looked down when she noticed that she was receiving the came scrutiny.

She turned away when she heard somebody shouting that Wei was attacking. Her vision had been rapidly deteriorating since they had begun to travel to the market. Biting her lip, she pulled the bottle from her sleeve and poured _way_ more than the prescribed three drops in each eye and closed them. When she opened them, she realized too late that she had made a terrible mistake. Zhuge Liang had warned her to use only three drops once in a 24 hour period. She couldn't see anything. _Well,_ she thought as she drew her sword and followed the others to the battlefield _at least I'm used to fighting this way. I'll ask Zhuge Liang about it later…_


	5. Chapter 5

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 5

Ai Rong sat down after delivering the killing blow to the leader of the group of attacking highwaymen that had taken to wearing Wei's colors, listening to the other ruffians scatter. Lu Xun smiled and pulled her up, catching sight of her eyes.

"You're blind… But the scarring on your eyes looks very old. How could you see me before?"

"Zhuge Liang's magic. I messed up though, used too much of the potion. I don't know what will happen."

Lu Xun walked back to the palace with her after the girl had informed her female companions that she was alright, but wanted to just walk back. As he fell in step beside her, he noticed her favoring her left leg, grimacing in pain.

"What happened to your leg?"

"I twisted my ankle during my last fight. That's why I had to sit for a minute."

She yelped and leaned against him slightly, swearing at the painful injury. Lu Xun sat her on a stack of sacks of rice, asking a nearby seamstress for a long strip of silk. When he had it, he knelt down in front of her and put her foot on his knee and looked her ankle over before wrapping it tightly. He spied a long sturdy stick that would serve as a walking stick to help take the weight off her injured leg.

"There. That will do until the doctors can look at you."

He helped her stand and walked closer than he probably needed to, but he couldn't help but want to be near her. She was brave and strong, beautiful and wild, elegant in her gestures and sharp in her tongue. He blushed a little when she lost her balance and hung on to his arm until she steadied herself, laughing.

Zhuge Liang scolded her when Ai Rong told him about how she had used the potion as a doctor wrapped her swollen ankle. He told her in a cold voice that while he thought that she was a nice girl, he thought she was reckless and refused to make more of the potion for her until she proved to him that she would follow the directions she was given.

"However," he said with a sigh "I do not know if it will even work on you anymore…"

Back in her bedchamber, Ai Rong sat with Shang Xiang, having her first bit of girl talk with her new best friend. They were sitting on the bed in their nightclothes, talking so that the bodyguards that were there for the Wu princess's safety during the 'imperial sleepover' couldn't hear.

"Oh, I'm really sorry about your eyes…"

"Meh, I've been blind most of my life. It's nothing new."

"How's your ankle?"

"It's fine."

Both were silent for a moment, then Shang Xiang blurted out a statement that had been eating at her since before the day's battle.

"I don't know if you noticed or not, but…"

"What?"

"Lu Xun couldn't stop looking at you! He'd just peek real quick, but when I caught him staring while Gan Ning was scolding you for being stubborn and you were yelling at him about being an old mother hen inside a man's body, he was blushing so hard that his face matched his coat."

"No he didn't! You lie!"

"No, I'm not! Lu Xun has _never_ done that before! And I noticed _you_ sneaking peeks too, missy!"

Ai Rong said nothing as her friend giggled, which made her giggle, which escalated into full blown laughs. As they settled down and climbed under the blankets, Shang Xiang asked her friend if she liked Lu Xun.

Ai Rong didn't answer, glad for the darkness that hid her blush and smile…


	6. Chapter 6

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 6

Lu Xun sighed and sat up, grimacing as his arm began to tingle painfully as its circulation returned. He got out of bed and dressed in a hurry, pushing his hat down over his hair as he left his suite of rooms and walked toward the doors that would lead him to the stables. As he passed the courtyard, he heard a girl shrieking and a gruff male voice laughing. He looked around and saw Gan Ning holding Ai Rong in a headlock, roughly rubbing her crown with his knuckles, which apparently hurt Ai Rong. He almost charged in to defend the girl from the pirate, but the small woman twisted herself until she broke free and was on her attacker's back.

"You're gonna have to do better than that, Ai!"

The pirate flipped her over his shoulder and dropped her on her back in the dust. She rolled away and shot up, flipping so her foot caught a stray bucket and sent it spinning toward him. It struck his face with a loud _crack_ and a spurt of blood.

"Shit, Ai! Your aim has gotten a lot better lately."

"Maybe you're just getting slow, Gan Ning."

Both fighters spun when they heard Lu Xun speak. Ai Rong laughed and limped a few steps to stand next to Lu Xun and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hahahaha! He got you with that one, brother!"

Lu Xun had been smiling, his cheeks slightly pink, when she stood next to him, but then he went suddenly very pale. Gan Ning, the king of the pirates of the East, was her _brother_?!

Gan Ning leveled a glare at the younger man who had dared to blush and smile at his little sister. When his crew had been foolish to display anything other than the attentions of a friend, Gan Ning had employed his rank to bully them until they ran screaming. _I wonder how long it would take to chase this one off,_ he thought as he continued to glare. Almost as if she could hear his thoughts, Ai Rong glared at her brother and spoke sharply.

"Don't be an asshole, Ning. Lu Xun helped me get back last night, so you had better be nice."

"Sure thing, little sister, I'll kill him nice and fast."

Ai Rong rolled her eyes and picked up her walking stick while Lu Xun gave a tiny shudder and looked away from Gan Ning, quickly resuming his walk to the stables. He was surprised when Ai Rong appeared at his side, asking him where he was headed.

"The stables. I always come in to see my horse in the morning, then sometimes I go out riding for a while. Do you like horses?"

"Yeah, but my stupid brother wouldn't ever let me even get close to one when we were younger. He always said that because I was blind, the horse could hurt me. Yet he lets me sail with him…"

Lu Xun smiled when two servants opened the stable doors to let them through. His eyes scanned the room, coming to rest on a huge brown horse with a black mane. It snorted happily when it saw him and pawed the ground, tossing it's head. Lu Xun led Ai Rong to the stall and put a hand on the horse's nose. He smiled when Ai Rong put her hand on the giant's cheek and scratched the coarse hair.

"Little Treasure, this is Ai Rong. Ai Rong, Little Treasure."

Ai Rong smiled and played with the horse's forelock and giggled when the creature snorted loudly.

"Good to meet you, Little Treasure."

She sighed and dropped her hand down to her side, her face a little sad. As they walked, Lu Xun asked if she had a horse of her own.

"Oh no, but I have always wanted one…"

Lu Xun smiled and took her hand, pulling her away from the palace and into the town that was just waking up. He heard her sputtering behind him, telling him to let go of her hand, then to slow down, then demanding to know where they were going this early in the morning.

"It's a surprise, Ai. You'll see when we get there!"

Suddenly Lu Xun stopped so suddenly that Ai Rong slammed into his back and had to grab his sleeve to keep from falling over backwards. She smelled horse and straw and knew that they were in another stable.

"Ai, do you have any color that you prefer?"

Ai Rong's eyebrows came together in confusion, then shot up in shock.

"I like dark bodies and light manes. But it can't be anything expensive, or I'll never be able to afford it!"

Lu Xun laughed and waved over the horse seller, whispering for him to bring around three gentle horses that had bodies that were darker than their manes. When the horse trader came around, he held three ropes with a beautiful horse at the end of each one. The first was dark grey with a fine pale grey mane. The second was golden with a mane the color of sea foam. The third was black with a dark grey mane that was shot through with streaks of white.

"Which does the lord prefer?"

Lu Xun shook his head and pushed Ai Rong forward.

"She's the one you're selling to."

The man saw she was blind and described each horse in turn as she walked up to them and patted them on the nose, touching their manes and running her hands over their backs.

She stopped when she reached the golden one. To her, the horse, a two year old mare, felt like the right horse. As if to prove her point, the horse butted her head into her chest and snorted affectionately.

"I like her… How much is she?"

When the trader named a large sum, Ai Rong bit her lip and shook her head sadly. She couldn't afford the horse that cost nearly the same as three bars of gold did. Lu Xun smiled and handed over the money, paying a little more for a saddle and harness even while Ai Rong scolded him about buying the horse.

"You shouldn't do that! I'll buy an old horse and just get another old one when the other dies!"

Lu Xun shook his head and helped her up into the saddle, laughing at her lost expression.

"Now what do I do?"

Lu Xun jumped up into the saddle behind her, putting his arms around her so he could reach the reigns, putting his hands over hers.

"Just tap her sides with your feet, she'll go. Then, to make her trot, tap her again. Then, if you want her to run, click your tongue and snap the reigns. To turn, just gently pull the reign on the side that is the direction that you want to turn. When you want to stop, give the reigns a tug. If you want her to walk backwards, tug gently a few times and she'll stop when you stop tugging."

"Okay…"

She was blushing furiously at the close proximity of the handsome and kind man, not knowing that he was blushing too as he shifted so that there was a little space between them.

Tapping her heels into the horse's side, she prepared to encourage the creature to run, hoping Lu Xun didn't fall off, or, more importantly, that she didn't fall. Lu Xun yelped when she clicked her tongue and snapped the reigns, shrieking with glee as the horse broke into a run. The thundering of the horse's hooves sounded like drums to Ai Rong as she laughed into the wind, listening to the man laughing behind her, calling for her to stop so that the horse could rest. They stopped and rested by the Yi river, and Ai Rong considered names for the horse.

"You said that she is the color of gold, with a pale mane?"

"Yes."

"I have two names in my mind… Maybe you can help me pick one. My thoughts are Laughing Moon and Sea Roar."

Lu Xun thought for a moment, looking at the horse as she drank and nibbled on some grass near her seated mistress. He smiled and tore up some grass and tossed it into the wind.

"I like Laughing Moon. She does look like she is happy, and with her mane being so light."

"Alright, your name is Laughing Moon. Do you like it?"

In response, the horse snorted and rolled on her back, relieving an itch while the two humans laughed.

"I think she lies it, Ai."

"Hey, Lu Xun?"

"Hm?"

Ai Rong twisted the hem of her vest, making the bells tied to her sash jingle.

"Why did you buy me that horse?"

Lu Xun looked away, coughing softly. Honestly, he had just wanted to, just to see her smile. He couldn't tell her that, so he made up a quick excuse and hoped she would buy it.

"You'll need a horse if you want to fight with the army. A young horse will serve you better for longer."

Ai Rong nodded, even though she knew there was something that he wasn't telling her. She would find out later, she supposed.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 7

When Ai Rong and Lu Xun returned to the palace, the girl lost no time in running to Shang Xiang and telling her everything that had happened that day. She was personally very pleased when she noticed that Xiao was nowhere nearby. According to the princess, the other girl had gone to visit Zhou Yu, whom she would be marrying next month.

"Well? What did he say when you asked him why he had bought the horse?"

Ai Rong told her, and Shang Xiang sat in silence for a moment, looking thoughtfully at her friend. Having grown up in a house full of brothers, she knew a lot of what men ment when they said something. Of course, it helped when she what kind of face they were making at the time. But Ai Rong couldn't tell her that, but maybe she could tell her something else.

"Did he sound funny when he said it? Or just normal?"

Ai Rong thought, then shrugged.

"He coughed, and his voice was a little softer than normal, but other than that… nothing."

Shang Xiang grinned and clapped her hands in excitement. She wasted no time in telling her friend the reason for her little out burst, saying that Lu Xun had been lying, and that she was quite sure that he had a soft spot for her. Ai Rong laughed and told her to shut up. There was no way that the young strategist was fond of her in any way, he was just being nice.

"Sure, and Sun Ce is a shy guy and your brother is polite." Shang Xiang said sarcastically, rolling her eyes and throwing a small cushion at the blind girl. Ai Rong caught it easily, laughing as she flung it back. Sun Quan and Sun Ce walked in just in time to see both girls smacking each other with the fine silk cushions, laughing and yelling at each other about how somebody liked Ai Rong.

Sun Quan rolled his eyes and quickly exited the room, while his older brother leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed and a smirk on his face. He listened carefully, making sure that his sister wouldn't be able to see him. He was curious to hear who might have a weakness for the wild haired pirate, and who was going to be on the receiving end of her older brother's wrath. Maybe they could arrange a nice marriage, further strengthening Gan Ning's loyalties to Wu.

"I'm telling you, Lu Xun doesn't like me as anything more than maybe a friend! Stop saying that he's fond of me in any other way!"

Ai Rong was shouting, her face blotchy red from blushing and laughing hard, slamming the skinny princess down onto the pile of cushions and sitting on her stomach, effectively pinning her.

"Alright, alright! I won't say it!"

Ai Rong nodded and got up off her friend, and as soon as she was taking a few steps away, the princess grinned and took a deep breath.

"LU XUN LOVES AI RONG!!"

"I'm gonna kill you!"

Sun Ce smiled. Lu Xun, eh? He would have to go have a chat with the young man soon…


	8. Author's Note

Author's note

Thank you for reading this fanfic! It means a lot to me. Just to tell you all, if you can

think of any ideas that may be cool to add, tell me! YOU WILL GET THE CREDIT!!!

Also, sorry about misspellings, I type fast and don't always catch them. If I screw up

something like who belongs to which kingdom, tell me and I will fix it!

I know Zhuge Liang isn't from Wu, but he helps them, so he's there for now. Don't

worry, he'll leave eventually.

Special thanks to:

Xarax

jusdatgiirl

Samurai Ryo

Keep those reviews comin'!


	9. Chapter 8

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 8

Ai Rong sat as still as she could as she could while Shang Xiang and Xiao Qiao dragged combs through her hair, trying to style it into the three loops held with a gold clip that was popular in the capital. The blind girl winced every time she heard Zhou Yu's intended laugh. She thought the fact that she hadn't jumped up and strangled the girl was quite an accomplishment, and intended to celebrate it later by buying herself a new silk sash next time she was in the market.

"Your hair sure is stubborn, Ai! Have you ever even styled it before?" The irritating girl said as she tugged at a particularly stubborn knot. Shang Xiang rolled her eyes and continued to twist her section of smooth oiled hair into a loop, tying it with a length of silk. Her friend seemed to always be forgetting that not everybody had the money to have their hair done. She grit her teeth and waited for Ai Rong's comeback.

"I lived on the streets and the sea, Xiao. My mother used to tell me stories about the palace… She used to be a concubine, but she never told me whose concubine she was. I always asked her, but she died before she could tell me."

Shang Xiang dropped the comb in her hand, eyes wide. She had heard stories about one of her father's old concubines that had been removed from court after she gave birth… Could Ai Rong's mother have been that woman's daughter?

Xiao sighed as she quickly oiled and tied her section, then picked up the comb the princess dropped and pushed it into her hand.

"You do the last section. I have to go do Da's hair, then she's going to do mine. The dress we bought Ai is in the chest."

As soon as the irritating girl was gone, Ai Rong let out a sigh and smiled, shifting to a more comfortable position with a soft jingling of bells. Shang Jiao began to slowly brush the middle section of hair, deep in thought.

Feeling her friend's movements become stiff and uncoordinated. She grabbed her wrist gently and turned to face her friend, her blank eyes fixed on her face.

"What's wrong? Did I say something I shouldn't have?"

Shang Xiang shook herself out of her thoughts and smiled, turning her friend so she was facing the mirror again and continued combing her hair.

"No. I was just thinking about how to find out if I'm right about Lu Xun."

This was an outright lie, but as soon as she said it, Ai Rong turned red and sputtered her usual denials of anything but friendship with the young man. Shang Xiang relaxed and laughed when her friend lapsed into embarrassed silence. Finally she twisted all three loops of hair together at their bases and fastened them together with a gold butterfly shaped clasp.

"There, now I'll do your makeup and have some of the servants come in and dress us, then we'll be ready for the banquet."

"I don't see why _I_ have to go to this stupid banquet. Isn't it for the generals of Wu and Shu only?"

"You _are_ a general of Wu, Ai. You are required to be there."

Ai Rong sighed and let her friend dust her face with white powder, then paint her lips cherry red, and her eyes and cheeks were dusted faintly pink. Shang Xiang was pleased by her work and called her servants in to dress them.

Ai Rong asked continuously about the color of the items she was wearing, earning her exasperated faces from the women dressing her, but a laugh from her friend. The princess called out the colors to her friend as she was dressed.

"The tunic is copper with a phoenix embroidered on it, while the underdress is dark red. The skirt is paler red, and the sash is orange. Your shoes are black."

When the women were dressed, Gan Ning rapped on the door, shouting for Ai Rong to get out there. He complained about how long it took for women to get ready for anything.

They laughed and walked out to find that Gan Ning had already left. They rolled their eyes and walked to the chamber that would be hosting the banquet.

When they walked in and greeted the two kings, Sun Jian paled. His eyes stayed on Ai Rong as she walked over to talk to Lu Xun, Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang. She didn't notice that the king of Wu was still watching her. She Smiled at Lu Xun as they all talked of the war ahead with Cao Cao.

_It can't be,_ thought Sun Jian as she watched Ai Rong flirt and talk _Feng Qi died 19 years ago… But she looks just like…_


	10. Chapter 9

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 9

Ai Rong walked away from the noisy pavilion with a look of disgust on her face. Her brother had engaged almost every officer in the place in one of his favorite drinking games, including the great Zhuge Liang, and Ai Rong wasn't going to stay long enough to have to defend herself from the drunks. She turned toward the stables, thinking it may be nice to visit Laughing Moon and Little Treasure before turning in for the night.

Opening the door to the stables quietly, Ai Rong heard another person inside. They were in Little Treasure's stall! They were going to rue the day that they tried to steal from Wu! She crept inside, slipping behind the unknown person and clenching her fist in preparation for her attack. She heard the stranger start to turn toward her and launched herself forward, her fist leading. She felt her fist connect with the stranger's cheekbone just as a familiar voice said her name.

The stranger yelped and was flung against the far wall of the stall, startling the horse, but Ai Rong didn't continue her attack. Her eyebrows were so high on her forehead that they were in danger of disappearing into her hair, her mouth open in a shocked o. She spoke in a nervous whisper.

"Lu Xun?"

The stranger groaned and sat up, spitting onto the hay on the floor as he tried to get up. He sounded stunned, but still amused, when he answered.

"Yes, it's me. You really like hitting me don't you?"

Ai Rong dropped to her knees next to him when he sat back down, unable to keep his balance. She put a hand to his face and gently felt the area that she had struck, feeling that it was already starting to swell. She apologized over and over again as she did so, asking if he was _sure_ that he was alright.

Lu Xun laughed and picked up his hat from the floor, blowing the straw off it before putting it back on his head. He knew that she had made him bite the inside of his mouth pretty hard, he was still bleeding, and his cheek and eye were swelling rapidly. He silently thanked the gods that the war council was already over. He would have hated having to explain how he got this injury to the whole council. Sun Ce would never let him live it down, especially after their conversation earlier that day…

"What are you doing, sneaking around here this late?" Ai Rong asked, her voice returning to it's usual low tone now that she was sure she hadn't damaged him too badly.

"I could ask the same of you. You _are_ the one who attacked me."

Ai Rong blushed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Ning started a drinking game. Most of the women that are worth being around are abed. I thought I would come say goodnight to Laughing Moon and Little Treasure."

Lu Xun smiled and stood, pulling Ai Rong up with him. After they said goodnight to their horses, they walked outside. Lu Xun smiled up at the sky, gazing at the stars and trying to see the patterns that people always said were up there. He had never been able to see the constellations, they just looked like a bunch of shining dots to him.

"So, when do we go into battle with Wei?"

The question jolted him out of his reverie, making him spin to face her. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

"Tommorrow. We're marching to Xia Pi. We are hoping to surprise Cao Ren there and give them a push backwards."

"When do we leave?"

Lu Xun looked at her for a long time, trying to not think of the things that could happen to her in the battlefield, reminding himself forcefully that she was as much a warrior as he was, if not more so. Finally he told her that they were leaving two hours after sunrise.

"Well, we had better get some rest then, Xun."

"I suppose."

"Are you worried about it? The battle?"

Lu Xun bit his lip. Sometimes he was quite sure that she could read other people's minds. His eyes widened when she took a step forward and told him to shut his eyes.

"Why?"

"Just do it. I have something that will bring you good luck tommorrow, but you can't look at it until later."

He sighed and closed his eyes, hearing the snapping of thread and the jingle of the bells of her sash. She tucked something into his pocket, then tipped his hat back slightly and brushed her lips against his forehead. She put his hat back down to it's original position as his eyes shot open in shock. She smiled and said that he could open his eyes. Before he could question her about the kiss, she turned away and walked back toward her rooms.

"We really should go to bed now. See you in the morning, Xun."

He walked slowly back to his own rooms, going strait to his bedroom and sitting on his bed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the 'good luck charm' that Ai Rong had given him. It was one of the small silver bells that had been tied to her sash. He took off his hat and set it on a nearby table, placing the bell next to it, then touching his forehead and laying down. As he pulled the blanket over himself, he let his mind wander back to Ai Rong, wondering if she had gone to sleep yet.

He smiled and turned on his side, silently promising to protect her during the coming battle. Soon he was asleep, a slight smile still on his face.


	11. Author Warning

**Author's Note**

Hey everybody, Deception'sChosen here. I'm posting this little note because the next two chapters are going to be very intensely violent. There will be death, torture and rape. If you can't handle this kind of thing, please, _please_ don't read the next two chapters of The Pirate Princess. I don't want to make people uncomfortable. I've already made myself sick writing the chapters, I don't want to hurt anybody else.

If you're sure you're up to it, then please continue and enjoy the story, for it will get better.

Deception'sChosen


	12. Chapter 10

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 10

Ai Rong rose an hour after sunrise, tying her hair back and putting on her loose patched linen pants and thick cotton shirt and leather vest. Her belled sash was tied tightly around her waist, holding the scabbard of her sword to her right side.

Sighing, she dashed to the meeting place where her troops were waiting along with most of the rest of the army. Gan Ning put a hand on her arm, whispering in her ear.

"You don't have to do this, Ai. Nobody will think badly of you if you decide you can't go through with this."

"Shut up, brother. My mother would never forgive me if I abandoned the kingdom she used to serve."

Gan Ning sighed and rubbed his chin, halfsmiling as he looked at his younger sister. Her stubborn chin told him that there would be no talking her out of fighting now, not when her friends and brother would be out risking their lives. She turned to one of the men that would be serving under her and told him to bring her Laughing Moon.

Gan Ning made a face. He had been less than pleased when he heard that Lu Xun had bought his sister such an expensive gift, not trusting the man. When the soldier returned with the horse, wearing a bell covered bridle, a handmade gift from Shang Xiang, he couldn't help but be proud of his sister. She looked strong and brave sitting in the saddle, waiting for the order to march.

There was a shrill whistle and the troops began to move. Lu Xun broke formation and rode up to Ai Rong, his face grim. Gan Ning snorted and urged his horse forward, away from the pair.

"Here, Ai. I have a good luck charm for you too."

Ai Rong stretched her hand out and he pressed a thick metal disc on a chain into her palm. She felt how short the chain was, then slipped it over her left hand, letting it settle on her wrist. She smiled at him as he dropped back into his proper place in the ranks.

They had been marching for four hours when suddenly Ai Rong heard a crash to her right, where there were no troops, only dense bamboo forest. She heard the whistle of an arrow and pulled back sharply on the reigns, crying out as she did so.

"Ambush! AMBUSH! Right flank, rear!"

She wheeled Laughing Moon around and charged toward the emerging ambush party. Over three hundred men were hidden throughout the forest, waiting to spring at the Wu forces. Ai Rong freed her sword and shrieked a battle cry as she brought the length of steel down on the nearest enemy. She heard his arm sever with a wet tear and a harsh grating of steel and bone. The soldier screamed and fell, drenching his comrades in his blood.

Ai Rong swung her blade again, this time taking off a head and getting the blade stuck in the shoulder of the corpse, wrenching the weapon from her hand. She screamed and was pulled down from her horse by the weight of the headless body. She yanked the thin blade from the fallen soldier's hand, deciding she would use the lesser weapon until she got the chance to get Rising Phoenix free from the bones of the dead man's shoulder.

She ran forward, the sword held in both hands and off to the left side, slashing at the enemies that she knew were there. The soldiers of Wei smelled and sounded different than the soldiers of Wu. Her arms swung the blade up and then twirled it. Blood and bits of flesh flew, spraying across her face and chest. She flung the sword, sending it spinning toward a man shouting instructions. She heard his skull crack and his blood spray the ground. When she leaned down to retrieve Rising Phoenix, she barely heard the sound of a spear slicing through the air. She rolled, but the sword stuck firmly, drawing her short. The spear's butt cracked her between the eyes, making her stop moving, trying to shake off the pain.

"Tie her up. We will take her to Lord Cao Cao."

………………………………

Lu Xun slashed at the last of the enemies as the opposing troops began to withdraw. He looked around, taking a quick tally of fatalities on both sides. Gan Ning looked around and froze when he saw Laughing Moon come wandering out of the bamboo, but Ai Rong was not with her. Soon, a messenger from the front lines reported that there was no sign of her among the dead.

"So they took her?" Gan Ning asked, his face going a cheesy white under his tan.

Lu Xun didn't speak, but toyed with a small bell that he had fixed to his belt. His eyes were trained on the ground in front of him as the messenger asked if there was any word that they would like to send up to Sun Jian. Gan Ning spoke up first.

"Fuck, yeah. I'm breaking off. I'm going after my sister."

"I'll go with him."

Gan Ning glared at the younger man with narrowed eyes. As far as he was concerned, Lu Xun could go into battle and die. But he knew that he would never be able to infiltrate the fortress without help.

"Fine. Let's go."


	13. Chapter 11

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 11

Ai Rong slowly opened her eyes, her head pounding like she had just been kicked by a horse. She sat up quickly, hearing other people nearby. She noticed that she was only wearing a loose hemp shirt that hung halfway down her thighs. She was laying on a damp stone floor that had been covered with a thin layer of old straw.

She took a deep breath, trying to sort out the different smells and get some idea of where she was, and gagged. The smell of blood, urine, sweat and excrement were so powerful that she almost had to lay back down. A shuffling told her that one of the other people was coming toward her. A strong hand touched her arm and gently probed her bruises and cuts.

"Looks like you take a beating well."

The voice was masculine. Deep and comforting. When Ai Rong pulled herself into a kneeling position, she felt shackles on her feet.

"Where are we?"

"We're under Xia Pi castle. You're accent's strange, where are you from?"

Ai Rong smiled and cracked her neck before answering.

"I'm from all over. My mother was a concubine, and I was raised in the streets of Luoyang before joining my brother on the sea. My name is-"

The stranger lunged at her, both hands covering her mouth before she could speak her name. His face was so close to hers that she could smell his fetid breath.

"Don't say your name. The Wei advisor, Sima Yi, puts a spell on all the prisoners so that if they tell their names to other prisoners, they will die. It's supposed to keep us from uniting against them."

Ai Rong nodded, gasping for air after he released her. Even the terrible smelling air of the dungeon was better than the man's breath. The man sat back and patted her hand, giving off a paternal air.

"I have a daughter about your age. I'll do what I can to help you out while you're here. You can call me Han. What shall we call you then?"

Ai Rong thought for a moment, then settled back on her heels.

"Shen."

There was a clatter, then a loud bang. She heard the other prisoners scuttle backward, away from the door. There was a scraping of metal on stone as the gate that held the prisoners inside their cage. A rough hand grabbed a handful of Ai Rong's hair and hauled her up. The man who had grabbed her was much taller than her, so tall that her feet dangled uselessly several inches off the ground.

Reaching up, she tried to claw at the hand of her jailer. He laughed and carried her out, while the door was closed and locked again.

The room that they went into stank worse than the cage she had woke up in. The smell of blood and human waste mixed with the sickly sweet smell of rotting flesh. The shackles on her feet were chained to a board, then her hands were bound over her head to a yoke that was chained to the wall. A cold hissing voice asked her what the plan was for attacking Cao Cao. When she didn't answer, she heard him sniff derisively.

"Fine. There are other ways than pleasant conversation to get the necessary information…"

Ai Rong felt a small iron hammer gently tap the top of her foot, and she knew what was coming. She knew he was just lining up the shot…

_**CRACK!**_ The hammer came crashing down on the flat part of her foot, breaking the small bones. She screamed as she was struck three more times, then fell into shivery silence.

"I'll ask you again. What was planned between Wu and Shu last night?"

She snarled at her torturer, remaining silent. He seemed to actually be quite pleased when she didn't answer.

"Oh good, I was hoping you wouldn't answer. Remove her shirt, gentlemen."

She squirmed as they roughly tore off the hemp shirt, leaving her naked on the cold floor. She shuddered when a long hand traced a line between her breasts and down to her pelvis, trying to squirm away. The same hand held her down as he called for the 'cursed mark'. Ai Rong heard a popping of hot metal and began struggling in earnest. The cold voiced man laughed.

"What's wrong? It's quite simple really. You refuse to talk to me, and I give you a mark that will never go away, starting on your feet."

Before he finished speaking the last word, he pressed the hot metal to the soft flesh under the arch of her foot. She smelled her own flesh burning, heard it sizzling and crackling, and screamed. Without missing a beat, the man got another heated iron and pressed it into the palm of her left hand. While she was trying to draw breath after the brand was removed, she felt a tongue slide up her cheek.

The cold voice spoke again, this time from across the room.

"The poor dear is crying, gentlemen. Do try to comfort her before returning her to her cage."

She felt the pain being pushed aside by the sudden icy rush of panic. What did the man mean by 'comfort'? Her feet were released from the board, then she was pinned to the floor by a much heavier and bigger body than her own. She felt the tongue touch her neck, but rather than just shuddering this time, she snapped her head forward and bit down as hard as she could on her attacker's ear. She could hear the cartilage tearing when the man yanked his head back, roaring like a beast.

When his grip loosened, she tried to lever herself out from under him. Suddenly he grabbed her hair and hauled her head up and punched her three times in the face. She heard her nose break and felt blood from her split eyebrow dribble into her eye. She laid there in a daze, trying to shake herself out of it as he forced himself inside of her. She felt the muscles in her vagina burn from the violent invasion, she tried to escape when after a time he got up and stepped back.

They had released her hands while the first man was raping her. She turned onto her belly and tried to crawl away on her hands and knees, but she was caught around the waist and dragged back. She tried to catch a grip on the stones that made up the floor, but when her fingers dug in, she was pulled again, tearing her loose and pulling out three fingernails.

The second man raped her rectum, seeming to grow more excited and brutal every time she cried out in pain. She cried out for her mother, for her brother, and for Lu Xun during her whole rape, as if they could hear her and were going to come bursting through the door to save her. Once they finished, the me laughed together and threw the torn, bloody and broken Ai Rong back into the cage.

"Shen…"

Ai Rong heard Han's voice, so like Gan Ning's, and broke sown in hysterical sobs, curling into a ball. Cradling her injured hand to her naked chest and keeping her good, albeit missing fingernails, hand on her broken foot, she rocked back and forth, talking to herself. She once again was crying for her mother, Gan Ning, Shang Xiang and Lu Xun, she even called for her unknown father.

Han, not knowing what else to do, sat by her and gently stroked her hair and tried to wipe some of the blood off her face. When she actually crept into his lap, curling into a tight ball again, he leaned against the rough stone wall and put his arms around her.

"Don't leave me alone… Please, don't let them do it again…"

Han murmured soft words to calm the girl, promising that when Lu Xun (whoever that was) and Gan Ning got there, they would take her home and she would forget all about this terrible night.

He hoped, for her sake, that this would happen.


	14. Chapter 12

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 12

Seven days… It had been seven days since Ai Rong was taken, and Lu Xun hadn't been able to think up a half decent plan for getting Gan Ning and himself into the castle. It wasn't a large castle, and there were few soldiers around, but he still had no idea what kind of traps might be inside.

One thing was in his favor though. The battle between Wu and Wei seemed to be keeping the other soldiers well occupied, so well occupied that they hadn't noticed that the last few watches hadn't come back.

Gan Ning crouched by Lu Xun, his belled sash tied to a tree to avoid detection. The strategist was impressed by how calmly and efficiently the pirate had slaughtered the soldiers that had supplied their new "uniforms".

"They're carrying a body out. It's female, I think, but not Ai."

Lu Xun nodded, slowly standing and motioning for Gan Ning to do the same. The watch rounds were changing, and this was the best time to slip in without being detected. All they had to do was make sure that they kept their heads down and pray that nobody noticed that they didn't recognize the newcomers.

"Let's go…"

……………………………………………..

Han watched as Ai Rong was thrown into the cell along with another Wu prisoner. Her hair had been shaved by her jailers using a dull razor, leaving angry bloody scrapes along her scalp.

When she had first been brought into the cesspool that was their dungeon, Ai Rong had been healthy, with round hips and a broad full face, her face had high color and her voice was strong even when she was afraid. Seven days had changed that. She gave most of her food to other prisoners, usually the very old or young, earning her the affection of her fellow prisoners. Han would look around during the night and see her with her back against the wall, her sightless eyes wide open, staring into the hall outside the cage. She lost weight rapidly, her cheeks becoming hollow and her hips sticking out sharply. There were dark shadows beneath her eyes and her skin was a sickly ashen color.

"Any day now… Any day…"

Han had helped her set her foot as best he could, and it seemed to be healing, but her hand… The burn had gotten infected and the skin around it was swollen and oozing dark pus. The infection was spreading, and she had a fever. She rarely spoke, only speaking to tell Han that somebody would be coming for her any day now… Any day.

She was starting to tremble all the time now, barely able to stand on her own. One of the brutes that came to give them their meager food once a day had beaten her for ten minutes with a bamboo pole for vomiting on him yesterday. She hadn't screamed once. Han had started to wonder if she had died and considered tucking her in the corner where the prisoners put the dead when she finally moved. She had crawled over to him and laid down next to him, whispering only three words: Any day now…


	15. Chapter 13

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 13

Nine days.

The castle was turning out to be a maze that confounded both Gan Ning and Lu Xun. Both men's tempers were near the breaking point, quickly losing any hope of getting Ai Rong out of the castle alive. They had eaten in the mess, finding it by following some soldiers who had caught them looking around, assuming that they were new recruits. They had spent two days searching for the entrance to the dungeon. Finally another skinny soldier came up to them and told them that they were to help him remove the two dead bodies from the prisoner's cage.

Lu Xun carefully memorized the way to the dungeon in case they had to come back the same way. Gan Ning tapped the skinny Wei soldier on the shoulder.

"Do we gotta carry the bodies all the way through the castle?"

"Oh, no. There's a passageway that leads outside. We just throw the corpses into the bamboo stand. It helps the bamboo grow, and will scare the Wu and Shu armies away!"

The man laughed at this, and the two Wu officers laughed too. Gan Ning was looking forward to killing this one once they were safely in the dungeon. Lu Xun shuddered, wondering who it was that they were supposed to be taking out.

As soon as the heavy door shut behind them and the skinny man showed them where the passageway was, Gan Ning grabbed him and twisted his neck until it snapped. Two bodies were heaped in a corner, one with a slashed abdomen, its intestines spilling onto the floor in a puddle of congealing blood. Lu Xun gagged when he saw many of the emaciated prisoners mouths were smeared with dark blood. Their hollow eyes followed the men as they looked at the bodies again, this time noticing that there were chunks missing from both corpses where teeth had torn away the flesh.

"They were _eating_ each other, Ning…"

The pirate nodded, looking carefully away from the gnawed bodies. His eyes scanned the cage, stopping when he saw a birthmark on the right shoulder of a shaking prisoner. Keeping his voice low, he called out his sister's name.

"Ning?"

When she turned to face him, Gan Ning bit back a yell of surprise. Her eyebrow was split clear down to the bone, and she was covered with sweat and blood. She held a small child in her arms, close to her boney chest. The little boy was icy white and stiff when Gan Ning took him from her. He lifted the child into his arms, turning to walk past Lu Xun. They would take the child back with them as well and bury it in a nice clearing near a tree, so his spirit would have somewhere to sit in the shade as well as a place to play.

Lu Xun knelt by Ai Rong, a hand on her sharp shoulder. She reached up with her good hand and touched his face, her bloody fingers slowly tracing his jaw, nose and forehead.

"Xun? Is it really you? And Ning? I'm not just dreaming again am I?"

"Can you stand?"

Ai Rong shook her head, keeping her left hand in a loose fist close to her side. She was surprised when Lu Xun scooped her up like a child and carried her out, careful not to bump her shaved head or injured foot in the doorframe. He left the door open and whispered over his shoulder for the other prisoners to follow him. To his surprise, a man came forward and closed the doors, smiling toward Ai Rong.

"No. You get little Shen out of here. If we all leave, who will tell the story of the brave and selfless little warrior who got away to the next round of prisoners? There are few of us who would make it out there anyway. We will stay." He smiled at Ai Rong and reached out and touched her soft scalp. "Goodbye little Shen. Good fortunes go with you."

He then turned away and sat back down, his hands on his knees, and sighed.

"You better go before they get here."

Lu Xun and Gan Ning bowed, then turned and hurried out the door with the child's body and Ai Rong.


	16. Chapter 14

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 14

Shang Xiang helped her friend sit up, holding a bowl of soup in one hand, a tray with two cups and a teapot sitting on the floor. Ai Rong hissed in pain, but said nothing as she tried to push herself up with her arms. The princess carefully put a spoonful of steaming soup into Ai Rong's mouth. When the woman made a face, she got nervous.

"What's wrong? Is it too hot? Too cold? Don't you like egg soup?"

Ai Rong coughed, swallowing. She shook her head slowly, lifting her hand and taking the spoon. When she tried to feed herself, her hand shook so hard that she dropped the spoon on the floor. She threw her head back in frustration, tears welling up in her eyes, choking her voice.

"I can't even _feed_ myself, Shang Xiang… What kind of general is that?"

Shang Xiang picked up the spoon and put it on the tray, pulling a second spoon from her pocket and scooping up more soup and putting it in her friend's mouth.

"One who went nine days without hardly any food, had terrible things done to her, and has an infection. Besides, it could be worse…"

"How? I can't do anything for myself right now."

Shang Xiang smiled and had Ai Rong finish the rest of the soup before answering. The princess poured tea for her friend and herself, reseating herself by the bed and leaning one elbow on the mattress.

"Well, you could be dead."

"At least if I was dead, I wouldn't be humiliated. Only the very young, very old or invalids are fed and bathed by other people…"

"Well, we would be short a great general, and I would be missing my best friend. Gan Ning would be missing a sister and… Lu Xun would miss you. So would Zhou Yu, he would need a new chess partner."

That made both girls chuckle. Zhou Yu always won in chess, but insisted on playing the game with her, saying that she gave him more and more of a challenge every time. Shang Xiang took a sip of her tea, then spoke again.

"Lu Xun wanted to help take care of you. When you were unconscious for two days because of your fever, he almost tore down the door every time you screamed. Between him and Gan Ning, I'm amazed that you have a door anymore. They have Pang Tong and Lu Ming standing outside to make sure they don't come in without permission."

Ai Rong looked down, her brow furrowed.

"What did I say?"

Shang Xiang looked away. She didn't want to tell her friend that she had been screaming for the phantoms in her mind to kill her, then begging the shades not to rape her again…

"I think you were reliving… Your imprisonment…"

Ai Rong nodded. It made sense to her. She hadn't been able to tell reality from dreams for the two days that she was burning from the worst of her fever. When she woke up, she heard the soft voices of Shang Xiang and Lu Xun and known she was safe. But that alone couldn't stop the nightmares…

"We'll get them for this, Ai. They will _never_ touch you again."

There was a soft knock, and Pang Tong's perpetually vaguely surprised voice ask if it was alright for Lu Xun to come in.

Ai Rong's eyes widened, but before she could say anything, Shang Xiang called out for him to wait for a moment. Shang Xiang ran to the closet and found the most attractive wine red silk robe and helped her friend into it, tying it tightly around her waist.

"What's this for?"

"You want to be pretty for Lu Xun, don't you? Here, a turban for your head, I know you hate those scabs…There! Perfect. I'll be right outside if you need me!"

"Shang Xiang!"

The princess had already gone out the door and smiled at the strategist who was nervously turning a hand carved and painted jewelry box. He felt the short magician's laughing eyes on him as he shut the door behind him.

"Good luck, boy."

Lu Xun took a deep breath and walked toward the bed, sitting in the chair that Shang Xiang had vacated. Ai Rong smiled, hearing the heel of his boot tapping rapidly on the floor as his knee bounced up and down. Even though he tried to hide it, she could tell by his fidgeting and rapid breathing that he was nervous.

"Nice to see you Lu Xun."

"Yes, I'm always happy to see you too. You seem to be starting to feel better."

"I dropped my soupspoon earlier."

Lu Xun shrugged.

"But you can hold on to the tea cup. That's better that you were doing before."

Ai Rong rolled her eyes, but had to smile. She couldn't stay in her dark mood around him. He was a positive thinker, come hell or high water, and he was not one to let others drown in their misery.

"I have a very important thing to…uh… I have a… huh…"

"Are you okay? I've never heard you stammer like this. Did you hit your head?"

He laughed, looking at her face. Her skin was regaining some of its color and fullness, her cuts were healing well and he even liked the way her nose was a little crooked now. He wished she had never received those injuries, but he found that he still thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met.

"Xun? You gonna answer me?"

"Ah! Yes, I mean… I have something I was going to give you earlier, but the battle and… Well, I have a question too, but… If you don't like it, I understand. I'm not much of a craftsman…"

He put the jewelry box in her hand. She noticed that it was heavy, but barely larger than her hand. There were small carved birds and trees, covered with, according to Lu Xun, cherry red lacquer. She opened the lid and smiled at the smell of sandalwood. The inside of the box was lined with the fragrant wood with a silk cushion on the bottom.

"It's beautiful, Xun. It must have taken you ages to get it right."

"It did. But there is something I have to ask you…"

"Ask away."

"Would you… Would you do me the…" he swallowed hard. Somehow, he had thought this would be a lot easier than it really was. He was always calm in battle, why couldn't he get his head together _now_?!

"Spit it out Xun."

"Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

_There, that wasn't so hard now, was it?_ He thought, then noticed that there was a small smile stuck on her face, a shocked smile. He grit his teeth and prepared for a rejection.

"Yes. I will marry you, Lu Xun."

………………………………………………

Shang Xiang grinned and stepped away from the door before her giggles alerted Ai Rong to her eavesdropping. Pang Tong's eyes showed his smile while he shook his head.

"Didn't know that it would take him that long to ask one question…"

Lu Ming sighed and nodded, saying usually you couldn't get Lu Xun to shut up. Shang Xiang dragged him down the hall, smacking the back of his head repeatedly. Pang Tong smiled and watched with interest.

"1,2,3,4,5…6,7,8,9…10,11,12,13……23. Wow…"


	17. Chapter 15

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 15

In the two weeks that had passed since Lu Xun had asked Ai Rong to marry him, the blind woman had gained back enough of her strength to walk slowly around the palace and go for short rides on Laughing Moon. She complained of pain in her foot and hand, but usually would just grit her teeth and work through her pain. Shang Xiang had begun to practice fighting with her under Gan Ning's ever watchful eye.

"Ready to go, Ai?"

Shang Xiang stood in the doorway, her arms crossed, leaning against the frame. Ai Rong grinned and got up as quickly as she could from her kneeling position on the floor in front of her alter. The girls had been planning an escape from the palace for a few days, both feeling suffocated by their overprotective families. Giggling, the girls slipped past the snoozing Pang Tong and made a dash for the stables.

"We shouldn't be doing this, Ai!"

"It wouldn't be any fun if it were something we _were_ supposed to do. It'll do 'em good to be away from us for a while…"

They rode quietly out the gates and, with one last glance behind them, spurred their horses into a gallop, congratulating themselves on sneaking out.

………………………………………..

Pang Tong opened one eye once the girls had "snuck" past him. He sighed and stood, stretching lazily and taking his time getting to Sun Jian's council's chamber. He had warned the king that the girls were getting restless and would be trying something soon. He understood that setting up a marriage between his daughter and Liu Bei, the king of Shu, was a long and troublesome project, but the girls weren't content to sit and do nothing. The magician had himself offered to go with the girls while they went, he shuddered at the thought, shopping.

Standing outside the door, he raised his staff and tapped the door, then went inside to deliver the bad news.

Well, at least he would get some entertainment today…

………………………………………….

"So, Shang Xiang, how are the marriage arrangements going for you and Liu Bei?"

Shang Xiang sighed and picked up a clump of rice with her chopsticks, putting it in her mouth and talking around the hot grain.

"Okay, I guess. Father doesn't talk about it much." She swallowed, then continued "But I know that I'll still be here to help with _your_ wedding!"

Ai Rong smirked and listened to the sounds of the crowded restaurant, hoping that she was wrong about her suspicion that Pang Tong wasn't really asleep. She had wanted to wait for her hair to grow out a little before the wedding, but Sun Jian decided that he was going to take over _her_ wedding too. He had insisted on paying for everything, saying that he had grown to love her like one of his own children, then pronounced that the wedding was to take place the next month.

"I barely have two weeks left…"

Shang Xiang sighed and patted her friend on the hand, taking another large bite of rice and vegetables.

"Well, we'll be able to visit each other. And who knows, we may even have children at the same time!"

The girls laughed and looked over toward the palace, where they could see, or in Ai Rong's case, hear, a carriage and three other people coming.

"Well, we were found out, Ai. Let's get ready for the lecture… We'll both get it from Father…"

Ai Rong sighed and stood, smoothing her shirt and pushing her turban down more snugly on her head. The women walked out to where their horses were tied up and waited.

"At least you won't have to listen to Gan Ning's lecture."

The entourage stood before the women, comprised of Gan Ning, Pang Tong and Sun Ce. The pirate stomped up to his sister's horse and snatched the reigns from her hand before she could climb up into the saddle.

"Hey! What's the big idea, Ning?!"

Gan Ning turned his sister so she was facing the carriage's open door and gave her a firm push.

"Get in. I'll ride Laughing Moon and put her back in the stable."

"I can ride!"

"You _will_ get in that carriage, and you will go straight to your rooms when we get back."

Ai Rong crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at her brother.

"When did you suddenly decide you were my father? I'm not a child."

Pang Tong saw the pirate's face go red and his eyes go disturbingly dark and decided it was time to intervene. He put his thin body between the brother and sister and gently pushed the blind girl into the carriage, telling her that she was still healing and needed her rest, that her brother was only thinking about what was best for her.

Ai Rong crossed her arms and legs, glaring out the window with her empty eyes and not answering. Pang Tong figured that it was as good as he could hope for, and was personally pleased that the siblings hadn't killed each other.

Sun Ce just looked at his younger sister and nodded toward the carriage. He understood that they had been bored, but he had been worried about both of the women. He had grown to think of Ai Rong like another little sister, and knew that for her, Shang Xiang would do things that were against her better judgment.

The whole ride back, the two women didn't look at each other. They knew that they had done something foolish, but they had been having fun, and were not pleased at being interrupted so rudely.

Suddenly Ai Rong looked toward her friend and sighed, a small line appearing between her eyebrows.

"I'm sorry that I talked you into this… It'll be all my fault if Liu Bei refuses to marry you now. We'll tell Sun Jian that it was all my idea, that I made you come with me."

Shang Xiang got up and sat down next to her friend, putting an arm over her shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

"You didn't _make me_ do anything. Besides, if Lord Liu Bei doesn't marry me, I can marry… One of Lu Xun's brothers, then we'll be sisters for real."

The two laughed, leaning back and starting to talk about what they would wear for Ai Rong's wedding. By the time they were halfway to the palace, Pang Tong, who had been listening from the driver's seat, knew everything from the menu to how many children the blind woman wanted. He shook his head with a sigh.

_I'll never understand women… But then again, does any man understand a woman? Nope, probably not…_


	18. Author's Note and a plea for help

**Author's Note**

Hey there everybody! I've hit a wee bit of a problem… I am trying to find out what was done for weddings in ancient China. SO hard to find a good details that aren't, how should I put it… STUPID!!! People need to put in REAL facts, not what they like…

I am aware that Pang Tong is a Shu general, but he is helping until they all, like, split up and kill each other… But who cares! He's one of my favorite generals! Whee Pang Tong!

Anyway, if there are any ideas for things that you may want to see, please tell me.

Much love,

Deception'sChosen


	19. Chapter 16

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 16

(The day before the wedding)

Shang Xiang sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, taking a deep breath before slowly beginning to sing a sad lament. As the blind woman carried out her usual daily routine in seclusion with only Shang Xiang, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, all the women sang. They cursed Ai Rong's family, Lu Xun, Lu Xun's family, even themselves for the impending separation.

At one point, while sitting with her hand on Shang Xiang's shoulder, Ai Rong burst into tears. The other women immediately converged on her, asking what was wrong.

"I… I feel like everything's over. The nights we all would sleep in Shang Xiang's big bed, talking until the sun came up… The campaigns that we won together… It's all over now… isn't it? We can never go back to those days, can we?"

"Well, no," Shang Xiang said, putting an arm around her friend's shoulder as they all sat on the floor in a circle. "we can't. But there will be new things for us to do too. We'll have parties, picnics… Everything. And when you have children, I'll be first in line to hold them."

Da Qiao nodded and chuckled.

"Lu Xun will have to let you fight. Until you're pregnant. Then you're stuck at home, it's a drag, but it's okay."

Ai Rong looked away from her friends, running a shaking hand through her short hair and letting out a slow breath.

"I'm terrified… Every time I think of having children, I think about… about…"

The three women looked at each other, then Ai Rong. They knew what she was thinking about, but could think of nothing to say to ease her mind.

They slept up in the cock loft, throwing pebbles every now and then at the chickens for amusement. Their talking and singing lasted long into the night, until Yue Ying came in and scolded them for being loud, ordering them to go to bed.

At Lu Xun's home, a roomy house not far from the palace. Sun Jian and a few other officers and their wives had come to "install the marriage bed". The servants had built the bed earlier, then the married people who had children shifted the bed into a slightly different position, Sun Ce laughing when Lu Xun blushed at his bawdy jokes.

The wives of the officers left, returning with several children, who were instructed to sit on the bed and wait for their next instructions. The children's ages varied from nine to barely three months. The smallest and youngest was Sun Ce's second child, a bright eyed little girl with her father's happy nature. Several baskets were brought in, filled with red dates, oranges, lotus seeds, peanuts and pomegranates. The adults, Lu Xun included, tossed the fruit onto the bed. The children grinned and scrambled for the treats, making the adults laugh.

Lu Xun asked to talk to Sun Jian alone in the next room while the other guests collected their children and left. When the younger man didn't speak immediately, Sun Jian raised an eyebrow.

"You're worried about Ai. What is it?"

"It's… She was raped in that terrible place. You know that… I wouldn't be surprised if she won't even let me touch her…"

Sun Jian watched the young man, stroking his beard and chewing his the inside of his cheek.

"If she refuses you, then you have two choices. You can force her and make yourself as bad as those men, or you can respect her fears. It's really up to you."

Lu Xun thought for a minute, his eyes half closed as his mind digested what the king of Wu said. Then he bowed, thanking him for his help.

"If either of you need help with something, you tell me."

"Yes sir."

A/N

Okay, this is part one of the big wedding! Should be fun! I think I am going to end this part of the story soon… But never fear, there shall be a sequel! HOORAY!

Thanks for reading!


	20. Chapter 17

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 17

(The day of the wedding)

At dawn, Ai Rong and the others were roused by a servant carrying a stack of dragon-and-phoenix candles. The three friends of the bride kissed her cheeks, then left as Ai Rong followed the servant to her secluded bath. She reached up and felt her hair again, amazed that her hair had grown so quickly, brushing her shoulders, in the four months since her rescue from Wei. She had pled with Zhuge Liang for a tonic to regrow hair to cover her scars.

The water of her bath was infused with pumelo and a variety of grapefruit to cleanse her of evil influences, and a variety of other unknown herbs that were supposed to soften her skin.

She bathed quickly, the rapidly cooling lukewarm water making her shiver. She toweled off and put on her underclothes, a pale red skirt and a thin filmy long sleeved blouse. Finally she sat in front of the dragon-and-phoenix candles that the servant had brought in and lit earlier.

A woman walked in, tall and strong, speaking auspicious words as she greeted Ai Rong and told her to sit where the light was better. The woman continued to speak as she styled her hair in the style of a married woman. Ai Rong occasionally winced when the woman's comb would catch suddenly in a knot, but stayed silent. She was sure that if she was scolded for _anything_ today, she would burst into tears again.

Finally, the woman moved in front of Ai Rong and told her to climb up on her back, so that she could be carried to the main hall. As she was carried, Ai Rong tried to listen to the happenings of the world around her. However, the entire palace seemed to be quiet today.

The woman set her dawn, helping her balance as the blind woman pulled on another skirt and a jacket, stepping into a pair of red shoes. For once, Ai Rong was almost glad she couldn't see. All the red that was no doubt all around her would have no doubt given her the impression that she was inside a dragon's mouth.

She swallowed hard and let out a breath as a phoenix crown with a curtain of beads and tassles was placed on her head.

_I wonder why Sun Jian is doing all this. I'm a poor girl, I would have been perfectly happy with a small, less ceremonial wedding. Will I ever know?_

She heard a soft cough and turned to try to identify the person who made the noise. The newcomer chuckled and reminded her that she had to bow to her family. She blushed and bowed to Gan Ning, who reached out, but then stopped, remembering that he wasn't supposed to touch her. Sun Jian's voice was comforting as they waited for the procession from Lu Xun's home.

"I have no family, sir. Except for Ning."

"Yes you do. You have the Sun family. From this day forward, you are my daughter, just as if you were raised with Shang Xiang. The princess smiled at her friend, who was stunned. Sun Ce and Sun Quan heard bells and looked up.

"Better bow to us quickly, here comes Lu Xun's people."

Ai Rong bowed deeply, grateful that the curtain that hung from her crown obscured her leaking eyes.

Lu Xun knelt in front of the ancestral tablets that he had brought from his family home, his eyes shut. He wore the traditional long robe, red shoes, red silk sash and a ball of silk on his shoulder. He felt a rough hand touch his head as a cap decorated with cypress leaves was placed on his head. He was glad that his father had traveled so far to take part in his wedding, but wondered if the old man would leave after the wedding or stay with him…

He bowed first before the tablets of Heaven and Earth and his ancestors, then to his father and the assembled family members. His brothers had laughed at his idea of getting married, and he had no doubt that the brutes would laugh when they knew Ai Rong was blind. His father removed the silk ball from the sash and placed it on top of the bridal sedan chair with a smile. His favorite son was _finally_ getting married!

There was a din of firecrackers, gongs and drums announced that it was time for him to get moving. He walked with one of his younger nephews, an omen for his future sons, followed by several members of his family and attendants who carried the sedan chair. Among the attendants were people carrying banners, lanterns and playing musical instruments, along with a 'dancing' lion.

His nephew looked up at him, then tried to stand as straight as he did. Seeing the child's antics, Lu Xun couldn't help but smile.

Lu Xun's procession stopped when they met a gang of the bride's friends. Among them was Shang Xiang, Da Qiao, Sun Ce, Xiao Qiao, Zhou Yu and a few of the pirates from her brother's ship. Lu Xun smiled as his representative walked up to the group, three ang pau, red packets of money, in his hand. Shang Xiang refused to 'surrender' the bride for such a meager price. There was a good twenty minutes of haggling before Ai Rong's friends accepted forty ang pau.

Lu Xun ate dinner with the Sun family that evening, receiving a pair of chopsticks and two wine goblets wrapped in **red** paper, symbolic of his receiving the joy of the family in the person of their daughter. He noticed that Ai Rong hardly touched her food, preferring to sit quietly and think on the events of the day.

After the meal, the woman who had styled Ai Rong's hair returned and had the sedan chair fixed to her back. Shang Xiang helped her friend climb up into the chair, then fixed a mirror to the chair to protect her friend from evil spirits. An attendant shaded Ai Rong with a parasol while another tossed rice at the chair she was riding on.

Firecrackers were set off to frighten away evil spirits as the procession, minus Ai Rong's family, made their way back to Lu Xun's home. Ai Rong took a moment to let a tear slip out from under her lashes, quite sure that nobody would see. She had finally found a family and home, and now she had to leave it… It didn't seem fair to her, but she bit her tongue, because this was just the way it was going to be. She heard attendants scattering grain and beans in her path, signs of fertility.

Firecrackers were set off in the distance as the procession came into view of the house. A red mat was placed in front of the sedan chair for Ai Rong to step on as she climbed out of the heavy chair. A saddle was placed in front of the door for her to step over before she crossed over the threshold of her new home. Once inside, she heard an old woman call for a lucky mirror to be used to flash light on her, as Ai Rong wore no lucky mirror on her clothes.

Finally, Lu Xun removed the heavy crown from Ai Rong's head, smiling when he saw her face.


	21. Chapter 18

**The Pirate Princess**

Chapter 18

(The wedding)

In the morning, Lu Xun and Ai Rong, both in formal red clothes, went to the family altar that stood near the back of the house. They paid homage first to Heaven and Earth, then the family ancestors and Tsao-Chün, the Kitchen God. Tea with two lotus seeds in the cup was offered to Lu Xun's father, who drank it quickly. Turning to each other, Lu Xun and Ai Rong bowed, completing the wedding ceremony.

As soon as the two straightened, they were swept up by a small army of servants who pushed them into the bed chamber. Ai Rong walked over to the bed, one hand stretched out to be sure that she didn't bump into the bed that she knew was there. Lu Xun's face was bright red, knowing that in as little as an hour, there would be people in the room to see them. He sat down next to Ai Rong and sighed.

"Well it could be worse…"

"What do you mean? What could be worse?"

He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat before answering.

"At least we won't be stuck in here for three days."

"_Three days?!"_

"It was what used to be done. Don't get too comfortable though, there are going to be people coming in to see us."

Ai Rong groaned, picking up a pillow and burying her face in it, making a whining noise. Lu Xun nodded to himself, thinking that he had to agree with her on that particular tradition.

As promised, after forty-five minutes or so of rest, guests began to pour in. Many of them were officers that they had served with, but some were total strangers to at least one of the couple. When the whole Sun family walked in, Ai Rong almost dove under the covers in an attempt to hide. Her ears turned red as she began to blush before anybody even began speaking.

Sun Ce swatted Lu Xun's shoulder and laughed, commenting on how quickly they had set up such a nice room in such a short time.

"Hey," he continued, elbowing his friend "with all the children that we had on there, you two should have some little Xuns and Ais running around pretty soon!"

Ai Rong looked down, wanting to just get up and leave, not wanting to hear all the ribald comments that she had been hearing through the day. She knew that they were all just teasing them, but she knew that they had no idea how close to home their words hit. Shang Xiang glared at her brother and smacked his arm, walking up to her friend and sister with a small package in her hands.

"I have a gift for you, Ai."

"Thank you."

Ai Rong took the package and went to set it behind her, but her friend's hand caught her wrist.

"Open it now. You'll like it."

She opened the red package and lifted out a long beaded necklace with a tassel of hair attached at one point secured to a bell.

"The hair is mine. And the bell is made of silver."

Ai Rong smiled at her friend, placing the necklace around her neck, giving them a little pat.

"Thank you. You will be attending the banquet tonight?"

The Sun family nodded, then left to let Pang Tong and Zhang Fei in.

…………………………………………………………….

Ai Rong sat with the other women at the banquet that Lu Xun's father threw as a public recognition of his son's union. Shang Xiang sat with her arm around her friend, the two laughing as they ate and drank. They occasionally glanced in the direction of the men, but didn't linger on them.

Lu Xun and his father sat with the men, talking and eating. Gan Ning was drunk already, and many of the other guests were quickly following his example. Lu Xun finally called for the banquet to end before his guests got out of hand.

……………………………………………………………..

Early the next morning, Ai Rong rose to attend the honoring of the ancestors at dawn. She turned and let the members of Lu Xun's family and friends get a good look at her before introducing herself as Lu Xun's wife. She knelt before each of the older relatives, receiving small gifts from each as she knelt. She heard the people commenting on her blindness, but said nothing. She felt an aged hand pat her gently on the shoulder.

"Welcome home, my girl. You can call me Father Lu, if you like."

His kind, worn voice took her by surprise. She had heard so many horror stories about things that happened when women joined their husband's family, she was expecting a den of lions that were waiting to eat her alive. She smiled and bowed deeply when he handed her his gift, a mirror of mercury and bronze.

Two months later, Lu Xun and Ai Rong went to the Sun family home. The couple were treated the same way as before, except that the servants no longer shared jokes with her as they passed. It was then, sitting with her husband and the Sun family, that the reality of the situation hit her. She was no longer part of their family. She wasn't from the Gan clan, or from the Sun family. She belonged to the Lu clan, completely.

Tears welled up before she could stop them, and she rose and dashed out of the chamber they had all been sitting in. Lu Xun half stood, but Sun Ce pulled him back down to his seat as Shang Xiang got up and ran after her.

"Let her go, Xun. Shang Xiang will take care of it."

…………………………………………………………….

In the room she used to sleep in, Ai Rong sat amidst stacks of trunks and boxes, crying quietly. Shang Xiang slipped in, sitting next to her friend, not sure what to say. Finally, she just asked what was bothering the pirate.

"What's bothering me? I don't like it there."

"Does his family treat you well?"

"Well, yeah, most of them. His father seems to be quite taken with me, but his brothers make it so difficult for me. They keep asking why there isn't any noise coming from our room, it's disgusting! Xun told his father about… what happened to me, but not his brothers. I'm trying to get over it, I really am!"

"I know, Ai. He doesn't… does he?"

"No, he has never forced me to do anything. We've only done anything once… I had nightmares after…"

Shang Xiang smiled sadly, hugging her adopted sister tightly.

"Don't worry… Maybe you're pregnant already… then they will back off for sure."

The girls smiled at each other, Ai Rong looking slightly pale.

"You gonna be okay to go back?"

"Yeah… I'll be okay. Thanks."

Shang Xiang nodded. If anybody was strong enough to live through the horrible things that life threw at them, it was Ai Rong…

The End

A/N

Okay guys, this story is over. But I have a sequel coming out too. It's called The Fall of Wei and Shu.

Hope I keep all my faithful readers and get new ones! Happy reading!

Deception'sChosen


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